Women's Rights

One of the dominant themes that run through the course of the blog is Riverbend's interest in the welfare of women across Iraq. The author and blogger discusses her life in emotional detail, what it feels like to be a woman in Iraq during the occupation, and also discusses the political and cultural changes that start to occur around her during the years of the reconstruction. Uniquely placed as a 'girl blogger' Riverbend is able to empathise with the stories and rumours that she recounts of abductions, rapes and daily humiliations, and is also able to give to the predominantly western readers a unique insider understanding of what it means to be a woman and also a Muslim.

Having grown up in Iraq during the regime of Saddam Hussein, Riverbend enjoyed a certain degree of secular freedom, which was balanced carefully with the religious and Shar'iah views...